Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Muriwai Dr)
The partially collapsed Te Ana o Muriwa (Muriwai's Cave) once extended
122m into the hillside and sheltered 60 people, including Muriwai, a famous seer and
aunt of Wairaka. Along with Wairere Falls and a rock in the harbour mouth, the cave was
one of three landmarks Toroa was told to look for by his father Irakewa, when he arrived
in the
Mataatua
canoe.
Te Papaka &
Puketapu
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, LOOKOUTS
On the clifftops behind the town are two ancient Ngati Awa
pa
sites - Te Papaka and
Puketapu - both of which offer sensational (and very defendable) outlooks over
Whakatane.
WAKA LIKE A MAN
Whakatane's name originated some eight centuries ago, 200 years after the origin-
al Maori settlers arrived here. The warrior Toroa and his family sailed into the estu-
ary in a huge ocean-going waka(canoe), the Mataatua. As the men went ashore to
greet local leaders, the tide turned, and the waka− with all the women on board −
drifted out to sea. Toroa's daughter, Wairaka, cried out 'E! Kia whakatane au i
ahau!'(Let me act as a man!) and, breaking the traditional tapu(taboo) on women
steering a waka,she took up the paddle and brought the boat safely ashore. A
whimsical
statue of Wairaka
stands proudly atop a rock in Whakatane's harbour in
commemoration of her brave deed.
Activities
Feel like a stroll? The
Kohi Point Walkway
is highly recommended: a bushy four-hour,
5.5km track with panoramic clifftop views and a genuine 'gasp' moment when you set
eyes on Otarawairere Bay. A short detour rewards you with amazing views from Toi's Pa
(Kapua te rangi), reputedly the oldest
pa
site in NZ. You can also get to Toi's Pa by a
partly unsealed access road off the Whakatane-Ohope road. From Ohope, you can catch
the bus back to Whakatane if there aren't any more kilometres in your legs. Ask the i-
SITE for a walk map.
A flatter option is the
River Walk
(two to three hours), following the Whakatane River
past the Botanical Gardens, Muriwai's Cave and on to Wairaka's statue.
